Dust mop



0st. 5, E954 s. L. sLAcK A 2,690,583

DDDDD OP VA w INVENTOR. i JTEP//ENVLuf/ ncz @Mfm .ATTORMEY Patented ct. 5, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to mops of the type generally known as dry mops, such as are employed. for dusting oors, walls and articles of furniture.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved mop construction that will be extremely eiiective in picking up dust, and is further characterized by the fact that there are no exposed metal parts in the frame which carries the soft yarns forming the mop head. Consequently, the mop can be used freely anywhere, without any possibility of scratching oors, walls and furniture.

The above and other advantageous features of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear from the following description, considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a mop embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner of assembling the parts of the mop shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a top plan View of a portion of the mop extending to the right of the handle socket shown in Fig. l, with the wires of the socket being shown in section.

Fig. 5 is a top plan View of a portion of the mop similar to the showing of Fig. 4 with the yarns omitted so as to shoW the construction of the frame.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view along the line 6-5 of Fig. l.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the mop head consists of an assembly of soft yarns I held by a metal frame consisting of wires 2 that are twisted together and extend in opposite directions from a socket 3 formed by bringing all of the wires 2 together, and bending them into an open coil. The socket 3 provides means for mounting the mop on the end of a wooden handle.

As previously pointed out, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a mop construction in which the metal parts of the frame carrying the yarns will be entirely covered when the mop is in use, and Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate a procedure for assembling the parts of the mop to obtain this result.

In Fig. 2, the wires 2 of the frame are shown extending in parallel relation, with yarns I being placed between the wires 2 in sufficient quantity to obtain the desired density of yarns in the mop head. However. before twisting the wires 2 to lock the yarns I therebetween, a strip 4 composed of flexible material of a yieldable nature, such as rubber or plastic, is placed between the wires 2 so as to extend beyond the wires, `as shown in Fig. 3. The wires 2, with the yarns I and strip 4 therebetween, are then twisted by any suitable means, with the result that the strip Il is wound in helical form around the wires as illustrated in Fig. 5, in which the yarns I are not shown.

As will be apparent from a comparison between Figs. 4 and 5, the twisting of the Wires 2 and the Wrapping of the strip 4 in helical form around the Wires, will be accompanied by locking of the yarns I in position on the frame, with the yarns I passing from between adjacent edges of the strip 4. It is to be noted that the yarns I extend in all directions from the twisted wire frame of the complete mop of Fig. 1, since the yarns I will assume a helical arrangement as they pass from between the convolutions of the strip 4. Thus, the strip will .be exposed at regular intervals, as shown in Fig. 4, which is a plan view of a portion of the mop, as it appears when looking down on the top of the head.

As a result of the above described procedure for making the mop, the completed mop shown in Fig. l will be characterized by an even distribution of the yarns I along the wires 2. This imparts a uniform fulness to the mass of yarns forming the mop head, so that its dust collecting and shaking out properties are the same from end to end.

It willV also be obvious from a consideration of Fig. 4, that the rubber strip 4 completely covers the Wires 2 in the places along the top of the mop head, not occupied by the yarns. Therefore, use of the mop cannot result in scratching floors and furniture, such as would occur were the wires 2 left bare, as in the usual construction. Obviously, the same condition will exist along the sides and bottom of the mop head, Where the rubber strip l will be exposed at intervals in the same manner as shown in Fig. 4. For this reason, longer and fewer yarns can be employed to obtain a degree of fulness in the completed mop that permits of easy shaking out and use in corners and under low furniture, Without any chance of scratching any finished surfaces. This is because the strip will remain closelykwrapped around the wires in helical form, as shown in Fig. 5, so long as the mop retains a suicient quantity of yarns to permit its continued use.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that by the present invention. there is provided an improved mop construction wherein the yarns have unform fulness best suited for picking up dust, and for easy shaking out after use, with all metal parts of the mop frame being covered by yieldable material, so that the mop can be used freely anywhere, without any possibility of scratching floors and furniture. Furthermore, the fact that the flexible strip is twisted, along with the wires, helps to hold the yarns rmly in place with less twist than is usually necessary when holding the yarns between bare wires, due to the yieldable gripping action of the strip material. As a result, there is little likelihood of cutting the yarns, or of breaking the wires, as the twisting operation is performed on the assembly of wires, yarn and strip.

I claim:

In a mop head of the type comprising a plurality of soft yarns secured between two wires by the twisting thereof in helical form, a single flexible fiat strip of yieldable material, appreciably wider than the combined diameters of the two wires, located between said wires with its longitudinal edges substantially equally spaced from both wires said strip being disposed, by the twisting of said wires into helical form, about said wires so as to grip said yarns where they pass between adjacent convolutions of the strip and cover the otherwise exposed portions of said Wires.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,883,269 Yonkers Octl 18, 1932 2,010,291 Barton Aug. 6, 1935 2,180,722 Rust Nov. 21, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 306,713 Great Britain Feb. 28, 1929 409,462 Great Britain May 3, 1934 553,448 France Feb. 9, 1923 

